--Christ side --
''Alisa, were you okay last night?''
The day after I spent the night in the royal palace of the Harzion Kingdom, I asked Alisa that question.
Yesterday, after the dinner was over, we had to sleep in the royal palace.
Normally, we wouldn''t spend the night in the royal palace even if another country''s royalty were to visit us, but....
The reason for our visit to the Kingdom of Harzion this time is to use it as a decoy to roast the enemy.
In such a dangerous situation, even the highest-class lodgings in the royal capital cannot be said to have sufficient security.
That''s why I''ve decided to stay in this royal palace, which has the most extensive security in the Kingdom of Harzion.
And it was during this time that I heard that my personal maid, Arisa, had slept in Princess Irene''s room.
I was anxious to hear that they had taken a bath together, but I didn''t expect that they slept in a room together....
I ask Alisa, who still looks sleepy for some reason, what happened last night.
''We had a great time. We had so much fun we talked all night.
''Oh, come on, is that okay? You didn''t do anything disrespectful, did you?
''''I don''t trust you. Don''t worry, I''ve become friends with Irene.
Yeah, right. .... hmm? Hmmm! Oh, your name now...!
Irene is younger than I am, so I was told to call her by her name... of course, I''ll give her an honorific title in public.
Well, I didn''t expect Alisa and Princess Irene to get along so well...!
Princess Irene is the same age as me, so she''s 16.
Alisa is two years older than me, so she''s 18.
If you want to talk about age, you''re right, but our positions are way too different.
"So, are you sure you''re okay with this?
''Yes, it''s all right. Besides, Irene was in the same position as Christo and had the same problem.
The same problem...?
''Yes. It means being a friend of Irene''s and supporting her. Just like Master Eric.
'' Well.....
Did Princess Irene want a friend who would treat her with the same disregard for her position as I did?
If that''s the case, it doesn''t matter if you''re a princess or a maid, right?
I''m a friend.
''''That''s a tough role to play.
''Hmph, friends are not a role. They''re just friends.
Haha, yeah.
Eric would be pissed at me if I felt like I was friending him because of my role or whatever it was.
''We only became friends because we wanted to be friends. Then you have nothing to say to me. Me and Eric will be friends that way, and then....
Oh, I''ve heard that story so many times already.
I see.
How many times have we done that?
No, you did.
''I''m tired of hearing about your talk with Master Eric of Christo.
I''m tired of hearing about it and it''s disrespectful to me and to Eric.
''It''s because Christo keeps repeating the same story all the time. So now let me and Irene talk about it.
...Yeah, okay.
Alisa didn''t have any friends of the same s*x at the same age, either.
Princess Irene wouldn''t be the only one happy to have a friend.
''''Alisa, it''s nice to have a friend too.
'' .........yes, yes, I''m glad.
Alisa blushed, probably embarrassed that she was so happy to be found out.
........You''re so cute.
''''Hey, Christo!
I was just admiring Alisa for a bit when the owner of the annoying voice calls out to me.
''I''d better get going! Get in the carriage!
Yeah, yeah, I know.
From now on, we''re going to look around the streets of Harzion Kingdom.
It''s in the form of asking the King of Ceredonia to introduce us to the city.
But I don''t need to do that, I know it because I''ve been to this kingdom many times.
So this is just an excuse.
The reason we''re going to look around the city from now on is to lure the assassins away.
In other words, they are using our lives as bait.
As I said yesterday, I never thought I''d get such a dangerous role in the royal family.
His Majesty Leonard is a man of great strength.
It''s hard to be a simpleton, isn''t it?
What did you say, Christo?
I didn''t say anything.
But today, the only thing that''s more sane than yesterday is that my dad and I won''t be riding in the same carriage.
Since this means that he and I are being targeted, it would be better for us to stay in the same carriage because the guards would not be dispersed.
However, we still don''t know which one is being targeted in earnest, so I''ve decided that it''s better for me and my dad to split up our carriages.
........I heard my dad said that, but that''s probably because he''s the one who''s most likely to be targeted.
Of course it''s better for the enemy to kill the current king than the prince.
That''s why my father, who is a better target, will be the bait, and he doesn''t want me to suffer too much.
That''s not what he said, but that''s what he''s thinking.
I''m glad my noisy father isn''t in the same carriage, but I''m not happy to see that kind of speculation.
But I couldn''t particularly argue with him, and today my father''s carriage will have the King of Ceredonia riding with him.
That man is also a king, so I think there''s a good chance he''s going to be targeted, but most importantly, he''s stronger than anyone else in this country.
And in my carriage, Alisa and Princess Irene will ride with me.
The carriage over there is more likely to be targeted, so the guards are more generous.
And Anne, the head of the magic knights, will also be riding over there.
........it was supposed to be.
''''Hey, why is Anne also riding over here?
Anne is also riding in this carriage and it''s not what I heard.
Don''t tell me, that father of yours, did he give you a thicker guard over here again without telling me?
Prince Christopher, Princess Irene. Please listen carefully. Now, things have changed a bit.
Once they were inside the carriage and no voices could be heard outside, Anne broke off the conversation.
''What do you mean?''
This time, we had determined that the two people whose lives were being threatened were His Majesty Leonardo and Prince Christopher. But we have received word that an attempt has been made on Princess Irene''s life as well.
...What?
The last surprise was raised by Princess Irene.